I'm a beginner knitter (self-taught). I want to make a simple scarf using eyelash yarn. Am having difficulty -any hints on how to work with this kind of yarn? Or should I give up and return it? Have also tried crocheting but no luck. Thanks to anyone who can help me.

Hi Pandoradean. I don't know what kind of eyelash yarn you are using but I started working with LionBrand Fun Fur. I had to start out mixing the eyelash yarn with another yarn and used a size 35 needle until I got the hang of locating the stitches. You might have to practice this way before you venture on to just eyelash yarn. Another blending option is to hold one strand of eyelash with another novelty yarn such as Eros (or similar brand). This combination makes a delicate yet fun scarf. I'm not the most experienced knitter but I can tell you that you shouldn't give up. Good luck! I hope this reply helps.

That kind of yarn is just kind of difficult to work with. I have to knit slower to make sure I see what I'm doing. I kind of twisted the eyelash part around the yarn as I knitted to make it thinner and easier to see, which resulted in a not as fluffy fabric. All I had to do was pick at it later to make all the fuz come out.

Good luck!! It's a bit of a hassle but it does make a really fun product at the end of it all

I am a beginner knitter too, and I LOVE using the eyelash yarn. I have used several different kinds to make scarves and it took me a while to get used to it, but this is what I do -

To make my scarves I use a size 11 needle (I prefer the aluminum ones) and I feel the stitches with my finger to make sure I put the needle in the right place. If you feel the yarn, you can feel where the main strand is, even if you can't always see it because of the eyelash part. And, after every row, I count the stitches to make sure I got them all. And, since it is so fluffy, if you make a few mistakes it doesn't usually matter, my biggest problem when I first started using it was hooking too far in the stitch and ending up with an extra stitch at the end of the row, so in the next one I would just k2tog in the middle somewhere.

Good luck!! I know it is tricky at first, but if you use your hands more than your eyes, I think you will like the results!

Working with fun fur(or similar yarn) has its moments but its a fun result when finished with project. It might help to address your particular problem. If you want to post it here we may be able to help you. :grphug: in the meantime....

the suggestion that stvteri88 gave was definatly an option. I do that to make an effect in colors that I want or to make the item thicker. And the extra strand does make it easier to work with.I use anywhere from a size 10 to 19 bamboo needle. I found that metal didnt work very well for me. Just remember on the stitches you are wanting work, it may help to twist your left needle where you can see the underneath of the stitches your working better. I hope I said that right.

Anyway, I have a girlfriend who crochets with this stuff and and has no problems. I CANNOT. When I tried, It wound up across the room. :hair: lol. I can knit with it and around fall/winter i knit quite a bit with it. I get orders for hats and scarves. :yay:

Big needles is the secret here! I think I used 13s or 15s when I was doing a scarf with eyelash yarn. I did one in purple for a Red Hat Society member and she loved it. Scarves made out of this really have a feather-boa look to them.